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Meet you (+protest?) at the Barclays Center's "SeatGeek Plaza"! New sponsor, after Resorts World International NYC (and Daily News)

Photo: April 3, 2017
There's an interesting nugget in the Brooklyn Nets' press release yesterday (bottom) announcing that long-time ticketing partner Ticketmaster would be replaced this fall by SeatGeek, the mobile-focused ticketing platform: the deal--which surely means more revenues for arena operator BSE Global--also involves a new sponsor for the arena plaza. 

From the press release:
Beyond all aspects of ticketing, SeatGeek will become a key marketing partner across BSE Global properties. The Plaza at Barclays Center, which is situated under the arena’s signature Oculus, will be named SeatGeek Plaza, and become an activation hub driven by the partnership. SeatGeek sees this alliance as a tremendous way to grow its brand in its home market, through the combination of marquee entitlements like SeatGeek Plaza, in-game inclusion, and unique activations with SeatGeek’s influencer network, Team SeatGeek.
That means a replacement for current sponsor Resorts World Casino NYC, which itself replaced the Daily News as plaza sponsor six years ago.

A mix, but private > public

The privately-controlled public space serves a mix of private and (permitted) public uses, including arena event queueing, arena promotions, press conferences, producut promotions--and, not unfrequently since the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, the gathering of protestors against police violence and other social ills. 

In that case, the arena operators acquiesced to the moment, creating what I dubbed an "accidental town square" and, while the arena had no events, replacing the flashing digital signage with a gnomic quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. 

But they clearly make profit-seeking operations the priority, for example shunting off a planned Floyd anniversity protest, planned just before a recent Nets' playoffs game, across the street.

Renting it out

At least for now, you can rent the 20,000 square foot Resorts World Casino Plaza, as seen in the screenshot above right, "with the glass-walled exterior of Barclays Center as a backdrop and the one-of-a-kind oculus video board ready to be programmed specifically for your event," with standing capacity for 3,000 people plus the ability to patch into arena audio and video.

Note: the plaza itself is larger, but there's no ability to cordon off certain parts. It was announced in 2010 as "38,885 square feet, 74 percent open space [28,775 square feet] and 26 percent soft landscape and seating, primarily around the transit entrance that will serve as the centerpiece of the Plaza."
 
As of March 2016, as I wrote, you could purportedly rent out the Daily News Plaza (screenshot at right), but the transfer was apparently the previous fall. So that meant the first sponsorship deal was three years, starting in fall 2012, and the second six years.
 
The press release, below

SEATGEEK TO BECOME OFFICIAL TICKETING PARTNER OF BROOKLYN NETS, NEW YORK LIBERTY AND BARCLAYS CENTER

JULY 14, 2021 | BROOKLYN NETS

BROOKLYN -- BSE Global, the company that manages and operates Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets, has named SeatGeek, the mobile-focused ticketing platform headquartered in New York, as its official ticketing partner beginning this October. SeatGeek will take over ticketing for all Barclays Center events, including concerts, and Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty games. The landmark partnership will create a ticketing experience built for the future for all Barclays Center guests.

Barclays Center will use SeatGeek’s top-rated digital ticketing platform for all aspects of the purchasing experience, including the ability for fans to easily buy, transfer and scan their tickets through their mobile devices. Fans can also utilize SeatGeek’s platform to identify the best ticket value for a given event through its proprietary Deal Score technology, and access a dynamic arena map to see the view prior to purchasing their seats. Additionally, SeatGeek’s technology will make it easier than ever for Nets and Liberty season ticket members to seamlessly access, manage, and transfer their tickets across any device.

In addition to ticket purchasing and management, Barclays Center guests can leverage SeatGeek’s best-in-class mobile platform to enhance their experience, including SeatGeek’s Rally technology by which fans can interact with their mobile app in unique ways like listening to a playlist pre-concert, purchasing an upgraded experience, or planning their transportation route.

“BSE Global and SeatGeek have similar DNA when it comes to innovating and adapting to the ever-evolving preferences of the live event consumer market,” said BSE Global CEO John Abbamondi. “We see great potential in leveraging SeatGeek’s latest technological developments and collaborating with them on ways to enhance the fan experience at Barclays Center.”

Since opening in 2012, Barclays Center has continually invested in technological enhancements and fan-friendly innovation both on and off the court, becoming a premier event destination globally. The arena is consistently ranked among the best in the world, including being named one of the top 20 venues of the decade by both Billboard and Venues Now after only seven years of operation.

“Barclays Center is one of the premier venues in the world, so this is a monumental deal for us as we work together to modernize the event-going experience,” said SeatGeek co-founder and CEO Jack Groetzinger. “As fellow New Yorkers, we couldn’t be more proud to bring our leading mobile technology to both our hometown and visiting fans.”

As the arena's official ticketing provider, SeatGeek will power BSE Global's back-office technology through its enterprise software, SeatGeek Enterprise. These industry-leading data and analytics tools will help the venue manage hundreds of events per year and better understand demand for tickets in real-time.

Beyond all aspects of ticketing, SeatGeek will become a key marketing partner across BSE Global properties. The Plaza at Barclays Center, which is situated under the arena’s signature Oculus, will be named SeatGeek Plaza, and become an activation hub driven by the partnership. SeatGeek sees this alliance as a tremendous way to grow its brand in its home market, through the combination of marquee entitlements like SeatGeek Plaza, in-game inclusion, and unique activations with SeatGeek’s influencer network, Team SeatGeek.

The Nets will become SeatGeek’s third NBA partner and the Liberty will become the first WNBA partner, joining a strong SeatGeek partnership roster that includes the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans, the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals, and Major League Soccer. In addition, SeatGeek is the majority ticketer across the English Premier League, including partners Liverpool F.C. and Manchester City F.C. More recently, SeatGeek made a splash in its home city of New York, becoming the official ticketing platform for Jujamcyn Theaters’ five Broadway venues earlier this year.

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